Michael shopping in disguise at Tower Records, PJ Bloom, music supervisor, 1987

“I worked at the famous Tower Records on the Sunset Strip when I was a teenager circa 1987, the year ‘Bad’ was released. Michael used to come through all the time. The store’s management would allow him in after hours so he could shop freely without getting mauled. One time Michael showed up about half an hour before closing. He arrived in disguise, one that consisted of a grubby flannel shirt, corduroy pants that came up to his calves, a bad wig and glasses with a fake rubber nose attached (think Groucho Marx novelty glasses). Michael also had Emmanuel Lewis in tow (aka ‘Webster’). Needless to say, this wasn’t a very good disguise. Several customers recognized Michael instantly and a few of us store employees had to run interference in order to avoid a mob scene. When the store did finally close, Michael was kind enough to sign albums for all of us. He was incredibly nice and completely selfless with his personal time. That said, Michael never took his disguise off, which made the entire experience all that much more surreal. Michael set the bar for pop stardom, one that’s likely to remain for all time. And yet, his connection with his fans was deeply personal.”